Mr.Czenki was leaning forward in his chair, gripping the arms fiercely, with his lips pressed into a thin line.
It was only by a supreme effort that he held himself in control; and the lean, scarred face was working strangely.
"Well, if you insist on knowing," observed Mr.Wynne slowly, "I suppose I'll have to tell all of it.

In the first place--" "_Don't!_" It came finally, the one word, from Mr.Czenki's half-closed lips, a smothered explosion which drew every eye upon him.
Mr.Wynne turned slightly in his chair and regarded the diamond expert with an expression of astonishment on his face.

The beady black eyes were all aglitter with the effort of repression, and some intangible message flashed in them.
"In the first place," resumed Mr.Wynne, as if there had been no interruption, "Mr.Kellner here--" "Don't!" the expert burst out again desperately.

"Don't! It means ruin--absolute ruin!" "Mr.Kellner had those diamonds--about sixty thousand dollars' worth of them," Mr.Wynne continued distinctly.

"Mr.Kellner decided to sell some diamonds.